There are few things WNBA great Diana Taurasi hasn’t accomplished.
From being three NCAA titles, three WNBA titles, and five Olympic gold medals, to six Euroleague Championships and almost countless individual accolades, she’s one of the most talented people to ever dribble a basketball.
If you weren’t already familiar with her off the court, as it turns out, the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer also brings a lot to the table as an analyst. How could someone who’s achieved so much not have a keen eye for the game?
During the Women’s Final Four matchups on Friday night — where Taurasi hosted ESPN’s Megacast simultaneously with fellow great Sue Bird — she brought another element to her terrific insight: A dry comedic wit.
The first notable instance occurred during No. 1 overall seed South Carolina’s (8.5-point favorites coming in) matchup with Louisville.
When the Gamecocks began to pull away for good during the third quarter (before eventually winning 72-59 to advance to the National Title Game), Taurasi commented on their amazing, natural athletic ability.
Nothing more.
"The length of the Cocks is long"
Diana Taurasi pic.twitter.com/5igEthPvU2— CJ Fogler AKA Perc70 #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) April 2, 2022
Why are Bird and their guest Kelsey Plum cracking up and hiding their faces behind Red Solo cups at Taurasi’s completely factual analysis? Basketball isn’t supposed to be funny, you guys. It’s serious business.
“You can’t help it,” said Plum in reaction.
Later, when Connecticut (one-point underdogs before tip-off) squared off against Louisville, Taurasi chimed in with more trademark excellence.
As former Stanford star and current Sparks centerpiece Nneka Ogwumike joined the Taurasi-Bird dynamic duo, Taurasi mused about the incredible dedication today’s young athletes have to basketball when compared to herself.
“I was pounding beers and cheeseburgers in college”- Diana Taurasi pic.twitter.com/NHmuvVBxYl
— gifdsports (@gifdsports) April 2, 2022
Hey, we’ve all been there, right? Why run an extra suicide or eat brown rice for dinner when the pizza and Coke is right there? If one of the greatest athletes ever lives her life to the fullest (i.e. lounging on the couch), why can’t we?
"I don't dance for free." -Diana Taurasi. #wnba pic.twitter.com/RCnGseSvBk
— Aya Abdeen 🧡💜Free Brittney Griner (@ayaabdeen__) April 2, 2022
Diana Taurasi: Role Model.
Between the jokes, the honesty, and the analysis, fans watching the ESPN Megacast understandably couldn’t get enough of the ever-charismatic Taurasi. Here’s some reaction:
